House Arrest is a 1996 comedy film. The film was directed by Harry Winer who has directed other films but is more prolific as a television series director. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Pollak. The film boasts a very thorough supporting cast in Christopher McDonald, Wallace Shawn, Jennifer Tilly, Ben Stein, and an up and coming Brenda Trew.
The film was released on August 14, 1996 and went on to gross only over six million dollars at the box office. The film was panned by many critics which could explain its low take at the box office.
The film was shot at various locations in the U.S. states of California and Ohio. Monrovia, California was the location for several exterior house scenes while most interior shots were done at the CBS/Radford lot in Studio City, California. The story was set in Defiance, Ohio, although another town, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, actually doubled for it.
Plot
The film begins by showing the Beindorf family, Janet (Jamie Lee Curtis), Ned (Kevin Pollak), Grover (Kyle Howard), and Stacy (Amy Sakasitz), a supposedly happy family living a typical family life in the suburbs. It is revealed that the parents are not happy and are in fact separating although they tell their children it is not a divorce. Grover and Stacy first try to recreate their parents' honeymoon in the basement of the house but this fails to bring any happiness into their relationship. The children then leave the basement telling their parents they must get another surprise for them upstairs. The children go upstairs, close the door, and nail it shut. They vow to keep it shut until the parents work out their problems.
The next day, Grover Beindorf tells his best friend Matt (Mooky Arizona) what he has done and T.J. (Russel Harper), the local bully, overhears the conversation. Matt goes over to the Beindorf's house to look at the children's work and is impressed. T.J. shows up to have a look and actually installs a newer, more secure door to keep the parents trapped. Matt and T.J. then leave to collect their parents and bring them to the Beindorf's house to lock them up as well. Matt's father (Wallace Shawn) never keeps a wife for more than two years and T.J.'s father (Christopher McDonald) does not treat his wife (Sheila McCarthy) well. Matt also brings his bulldog Cosmo and his two younger brothers, Teddy and Jimmy (who come armed with sleeping bags) and T.J. brings over his pet boa constrictor. When Grover asks what is going on in response to his friends setting up camp at the Beindorf house, T.J. replies with "Our parents could be down there for months!"
The Beindorf parents almost talk Grover into letting them all out but T.J.'s father threatens him with legal action. Grover finds out that his dream girl, Brooke Figler (Jennifer Love Hewitt), is also having parental problems: her mother Cindy (Jennifer Tilly) acts like a teenager, going so far as to trying to hang out with her daughter's friends. Grover invites her to lock up her mother with the rest of the parents. The children lock up all the parents and begin to help them solve their problems. The parents try to find a way out of the basement while getting along and seeing what each of their problems are. The children also work out their differences with each other above. The kids eventually give in and give up to the police and the parents are set free. It is revealed at the end that Grover's parents reconciled and took a second honeymoon to Hawaii, Matt's parents' wedding lasted past the two year mark and are expecting another child, T.J.'s parents got divorced though his mom later went back to law school and they later opened up a law firm together, and Brooke's mom starts dating other men instead of intruding on her daughter's dates. However, Grover concluded if their parents ever try to divorce again he might think of locking them in the attic.
Cast
Awards and nominations
External links
